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National Geographic Our Fifty States
"The richness of this land... has shaped the character of our people and our history. It is our duty and our pleasure to know it well-"
from the Foreword by Former President Jimmy Carter.
The richness of America, in all its grandeur and diversity, is captured here in the pages of Our Fifty States. An unparalleled amount of accessible geographic information is packed into this stunning, easy-to-use volume. A comprehensive sense of a vibrant country plus countless fascinating details and neat "Did you know?" facts make the book a unique reference and browsing resource for curious young Americans.
There's information here that will appeal to trivia lovers. Which is the only state with a rounded boundary? Which is home to the oldest tree in the country? Which state boasts active volcanoes? Quick, name the capitals and nicknames for all 50 states!
There's information here that makes report writing easy. Choose a state. Kansas. List its top state industries, the population, and four key events in the state's history. Easy. It's all right at your fingertips.
There's description here that will any young reader marvel at the land. Learn about natural wonders from spouting geysers to magical caverns. Visit Alaska's endless sweeping tundra and Florida's string of jewel-like island keys. Quotes form famous writers capture the character of each region in loving and lofty words, as with Willa Cather's infectious awe of the Midwest: "There was nothing but land... the material out of which countries are made."
The American bald eagle soars through "spacious skies," past "amber waves of grain," and over "purple mountain majesties" on this book's cover in a reminder that from "sea to shining sea", this land truly is "America the Beautiful". There is much to know about this land we love. National Geographic and geographers Mark Bockenhauer and Stephen Cunha open the door to learning about our inspiring, our united, Our Fifty States.
from the Foreword by Former President Jimmy Carter.
The richness of America, in all its grandeur and diversity, is captured here in the pages of Our Fifty States. An unparalleled amount of accessible geographic information is packed into this stunning, easy-to-use volume. A comprehensive sense of a vibrant country plus countless fascinating details and neat "Did you know?" facts make the book a unique reference and browsing resource for curious young Americans.
There's information here that will appeal to trivia lovers. Which is the only state with a rounded boundary? Which is home to the oldest tree in the country? Which state boasts active volcanoes? Quick, name the capitals and nicknames for all 50 states!
There's information here that makes report writing easy. Choose a state. Kansas. List its top state industries, the population, and four key events in the state's history. Easy. It's all right at your fingertips.
There's description here that will any young reader marvel at the land. Learn about natural wonders from spouting geysers to magical caverns. Visit Alaska's endless sweeping tundra and Florida's string of jewel-like island keys. Quotes form famous writers capture the character of each region in loving and lofty words, as with Willa Cather's infectious awe of the Midwest: "There was nothing but land... the material out of which countries are made."
The American bald eagle soars through "spacious skies," past "amber waves of grain," and over "purple mountain majesties" on this book's cover in a reminder that from "sea to shining sea", this land truly is "America the Beautiful". There is much to know about this land we love. National Geographic and geographers Mark Bockenhauer and Stephen Cunha open the door to learning about our inspiring, our united, Our Fifty States.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
3 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Stephen F. Cunha
9 books2 followersI became a geographer reading National Geographic in my Grandmother’s attic. The musty old magazines, summers in Yosemite with an uncle, and reading the Travels of Marco Polo fixed an early and enduring interest in far away lands, especially mountains. Ten summers as a park ranger in Yosemite and Alaska and travels to every continent raised the flat map to life.
My goal as a geography professor is to help students enlarge and diversify their mental map of the world—to fill in the blank spaces with the social, economic, and environmental characteristics that order our world. During the last decade, the hurried pace of our global society—the rising dependence of nations upon each other for trade and security—makes geographical studies more important today than ever.
Along the way students must learn college level research, writing, presentation, and technology skills. A foreign language and another technical skill such as cartography/GIS, statistics, or graphic arts is also very important. Finally, a mix of summer employment and internships completes preparation for life beyond Arcata.
Recent travels include Myanmar, Alaska/Yukon, and Vietnam. Current projects include a grade-school social studies textbook series and another volume on environmental challenges in the Sierra Nevada. I also direct the California Geographic Alliance, a group dedicated to improving K-12 geography education in a state that will soon count 40 million people.
My goal as a geography professor is to help students enlarge and diversify their mental map of the world—to fill in the blank spaces with the social, economic, and environmental characteristics that order our world. During the last decade, the hurried pace of our global society—the rising dependence of nations upon each other for trade and security—makes geographical studies more important today than ever.
Along the way students must learn college level research, writing, presentation, and technology skills. A foreign language and another technical skill such as cartography/GIS, statistics, or graphic arts is also very important. Finally, a mix of summer employment and internships completes preparation for life beyond Arcata.
Recent travels include Myanmar, Alaska/Yukon, and Vietnam. Current projects include a grade-school social studies textbook series and another volume on environmental challenges in the Sierra Nevada. I also direct the California Geographic Alliance, a group dedicated to improving K-12 geography education in a state that will soon count 40 million people.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 18, 2019
Good "coffee table" book. I learned some interesting trivia about our 50 states. I happen to love geography so I decided to read this..love the cover art!
I think I still have it somewhere. Very informative as far as all the states with each state having its own section. Makes a great references.
I think I still have it somewhere. Very informative as far as all the states with each state having its own section. Makes a great references.
October 8, 2018
This was a book that I had had for a while and was hoping to read it for just curiosity sake. At long last I was able to take a chance to sit down to read it while I can say that I am a bit disappointed with the actual reading of the book.
First of all just as a fair warning most of the information that was given in the book is dated to 2008. As a result the statistics will have changed for many future readers who may happen upon the book.
Organizational-wise this book was very well put together. It starts off with Washington D.C. first after the Foreward then goes into the main book. All the other states have been divided into regional zones, which then have the states in alphabetical order. Surprisingly enough for me Oklahoma is considered Southwest *shrugs*.
Each beginning regional section has four pages that gives more information on the general zone and a bit of the history. At the same time the same format is given for each states with the majority having two captioned picture/map pages and two pages of text with one having a box full of quick state facts.
All of this was followed by information about territories of the United States, some extreme facts and then an addition that provided maps of each state, flag facts and some information or history for each. This was interestingly enough for me the most engaging part of the book although it agitates me that that it was deemed only necessary to give historical information about the state of Kansas instead of an explanation for the heavy symbolism of the flag or even the historical attributes those symbols were a part of.
The writing itself for me was a bit on the dull side and perhaps just a bit repetitive. I would have moved the information box to the beginning of the text pages instead of the end while removing any extra fun facts that were already mentioned either in the captions and/or the text given for the state.
Other issues that I had with the book was the focal point. Although it is nice to have a book that does include information on all aspects it seems it focused a bit more on the African American side of emphasizing discrimination while at the same time downgrading acts or history provided for Native Americans. There was even one point that suggested that the Cherokees and others migrated to Indian Territory instead of being forced to travel there . So in my opinion the aim was still lopsided.
Another thing that caught my eye was the information provided for VA. After having lived there for about 9 years the information about industry was most definitely only provided for the northern portion of the state and there was an overlook as to the poorness of the rest of the state whose textile jobs have been sent overseas. As a result of this information it makes me wonder just how much more this book has overlooked or left out, which is disconcerting as this is suppose to be from National Geographic.
As a reference book I can see the potential and the possible use for a book like this, especially for schools. At the same time I would still suggest that people using the book as a reference tool continue to look at other sources, though, at the same time just to balance out their information before sharing it with others.
First of all just as a fair warning most of the information that was given in the book is dated to 2008. As a result the statistics will have changed for many future readers who may happen upon the book.
Organizational-wise this book was very well put together. It starts off with Washington D.C. first after the Foreward then goes into the main book. All the other states have been divided into regional zones, which then have the states in alphabetical order. Surprisingly enough for me Oklahoma is considered Southwest *shrugs*.
Each beginning regional section has four pages that gives more information on the general zone and a bit of the history. At the same time the same format is given for each states with the majority having two captioned picture/map pages and two pages of text with one having a box full of quick state facts.
All of this was followed by information about territories of the United States, some extreme facts and then an addition that provided maps of each state, flag facts and some information or history for each. This was interestingly enough for me the most engaging part of the book although it agitates me that that it was deemed only necessary to give historical information about the state of Kansas instead of an explanation for the heavy symbolism of the flag or even the historical attributes those symbols were a part of.
The writing itself for me was a bit on the dull side and perhaps just a bit repetitive. I would have moved the information box to the beginning of the text pages instead of the end while removing any extra fun facts that were already mentioned either in the captions and/or the text given for the state.
Other issues that I had with the book was the focal point. Although it is nice to have a book that does include information on all aspects it seems it focused a bit more on the African American side of emphasizing discrimination while at the same time downgrading acts or history provided for Native Americans. There was even one point that suggested that the Cherokees and others migrated to Indian Territory instead of being forced to travel there . So in my opinion the aim was still lopsided.
Another thing that caught my eye was the information provided for VA. After having lived there for about 9 years the information about industry was most definitely only provided for the northern portion of the state and there was an overlook as to the poorness of the rest of the state whose textile jobs have been sent overseas. As a result of this information it makes me wonder just how much more this book has overlooked or left out, which is disconcerting as this is suppose to be from National Geographic.
As a reference book I can see the potential and the possible use for a book like this, especially for schools. At the same time I would still suggest that people using the book as a reference tool continue to look at other sources, though, at the same time just to balance out their information before sharing it with others.
December 7, 2025
for the time it was made it's nice, you get to see the flag, national animal and flower plus extra i formation on eatch state plus the history
would be awesome if they made another one updated to this timeliness it be awesome to see the difference ya know. but still very good if u wanna know a bit of the other states.
would be awesome if they made another one updated to this timeliness it be awesome to see the difference ya know. but still very good if u wanna know a bit of the other states.
August 16, 2024
5/5 STARS! This was gifted to me & I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has gorgeous pictures, an easy to read style, & you learn some really cool facts. Definitely recommend this for the history nerds, it's a fun read.
900-999-geography-history
January 20, 2020917.3
April 3, 2023
A good reference resource.
Read
June 20, 2012Reviewed by: Ashley Browning
Format: Geographical Reference
Item Title (APA Style):
Brockenhauer, M., & S. Cunha. (2004). Our fifty states. Washington D.C. : National Geographic.
Call number:
E180 .B635 2004
Reviewed in:
Joslin, A . (2005) Book reviews. [Review of the book Our fifty states, by M. Brockenhauer & S. Cunha]. School Library Journal, 51(1): 142 Retrieved June 18, 2012, from Academic Search Premier.
Description:
This book describes the history, population, geography, and other aspects of each of the fifty states in the U.S., including Washington, D.C., and includes fact boxes, photographs, and maps.
Relevance and Relationship—
This book would be appropriate for the collection analyzed during my field experience hours because this book is a comprehensive resource about all fifty states. Currently, the collection does not contain a current book about the geography of all the fifty states in one book. This encyclopedia would be an excellent resource for teachers and students for social studies units and projects. The list price for this book is $49.62 which is very affordable.
Purpose:—
This reference book is collection of illustrations, maps, and essays about each state and region of the United States.
Validity—
The book is published by National Geographic, a reputable publishing company. This book also received positive reviews from School Library Journal.
Format–
This book is in print and is organized first by region (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West) then the states within each region appear alphabetically. Each region is introduced with a physical map in which relief makes it easy to see mountains, plains, rivers, and other geographic features that influence the region's climate, natural resources, and settlement patterns. An essay follows each interest.
Arrangement and Presentation:
Includes bibliographic references and index.
Diversity:
This book is available in English and is appropriate for children in grades 5-8. Includes information for all fifty states.
Format: Geographical Reference
Item Title (APA Style):
Brockenhauer, M., & S. Cunha. (2004). Our fifty states. Washington D.C. : National Geographic.
Call number:
E180 .B635 2004
Reviewed in:
Joslin, A . (2005) Book reviews. [Review of the book Our fifty states, by M. Brockenhauer & S. Cunha]. School Library Journal, 51(1): 142 Retrieved June 18, 2012, from Academic Search Premier.
Description:
This book describes the history, population, geography, and other aspects of each of the fifty states in the U.S., including Washington, D.C., and includes fact boxes, photographs, and maps.
Relevance and Relationship—
This book would be appropriate for the collection analyzed during my field experience hours because this book is a comprehensive resource about all fifty states. Currently, the collection does not contain a current book about the geography of all the fifty states in one book. This encyclopedia would be an excellent resource for teachers and students for social studies units and projects. The list price for this book is $49.62 which is very affordable.
Purpose:—
This reference book is collection of illustrations, maps, and essays about each state and region of the United States.
Validity—
The book is published by National Geographic, a reputable publishing company. This book also received positive reviews from School Library Journal.
Format–
This book is in print and is organized first by region (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West) then the states within each region appear alphabetically. Each region is introduced with a physical map in which relief makes it easy to see mountains, plains, rivers, and other geographic features that influence the region's climate, natural resources, and settlement patterns. An essay follows each interest.
Arrangement and Presentation:
Includes bibliographic references and index.
Diversity:
This book is available in English and is appropriate for children in grades 5-8. Includes information for all fifty states.
June 18, 2008
This book gave a thorough overview of all fifty states of our country. It gave pages of valuable information for each of the states. Some of this information included the capitol, land area, population, racial groups, industry, and agriculture. This book even gave the history of the state. It has been great to read a book that reflects the beautiful states that make up the United States of America.
This book is valuable for me because it could decide which state I will move to as I become older. I mean, I certainly don't want to stay in this liberal state that is trying to enforce gay marriage. This book has helped me consider what states I might move to, according to the industry and population. For example, I am considering Texas because it has a great amount of land area. I might also consider Arizona because it's industry involved state and local government. That's great for my future political career!
This book is valuable for me because it could decide which state I will move to as I become older. I mean, I certainly don't want to stay in this liberal state that is trying to enforce gay marriage. This book has helped me consider what states I might move to, according to the industry and population. For example, I am considering Texas because it has a great amount of land area. I might also consider Arizona because it's industry involved state and local government. That's great for my future political career!
August 18, 2008
I liked the fun facts about each state and the photography was great.
The book talked about the environmental issues of each state.
Instead of reading about environmental problems,
I would have liked to see the book...
-provide more pictures of the geographical features
-list more interesting facts
-list more cool sites to see and fun stuff to do for each state
The book talked about the environmental issues of each state.
Instead of reading about environmental problems,
I would have liked to see the book...
-provide more pictures of the geographical features
-list more interesting facts
-list more cool sites to see and fun stuff to do for each state
October 11, 2015
This is such a good book on all of the states in America. It has capitals and I found out a lot of things I did not know.
April 13, 2021
relly nice book
May 3, 2015
National Geographic Our Fifty States
Bockenhauer, Mark H.
a good resource
Bockenhauer, Mark H.
a good resource
Read
March 28, 2014i hate it really bad
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews